80 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



best results, the right location and suitable varieties should be 

 chosen. The pear is more delicate than the apple, and will not bear 

 the disadvantage of a dr}^ or wet soil as well. It requires a deep, 

 friable loam, with a rather dry subsoil, as its roots run deep. Hill- 

 sides are good locations. 



Standard pears should be set twenty-five or thirty feet apart, and 

 dwarf pear or plum trees may be set between theuj ; as these trees 

 come to bearing very young and are short-lived, will give some 

 fruit soon and will die or can be cut away so as to give room for the 

 standard trees. 



Of tlie numerous varieties on trial, many proving desirable in 

 other sections do not give satisfaction in this State. For an early 

 pear, Osband's Summer is perfectly hard}-, a good grower, and 

 great bearer ; ripens the middle of August. The Brandy wine is a 

 good pear and follows Osband's Summer in the order of ripening, 

 but it takes the tree a long time to come to bearing. Clapp's 

 Favorite is a large, fine pear ; tree very hard}-. Of the fall pears, 

 the Flemish Beauty is one of the best, if the fruit did not have the 

 habit of cracking. Those that have trees of this variet}- can very 

 readily change the top by grafting. They make the hardiest of stocks, 

 will stand the winters where many of the "■Iron-Clad" varieties of 

 apples will not. The writer has seen the Flemish Beauty growing 

 and fruiting in the town of Hodgdon, in Aroostook county, and the 

 owner. Col. Thomas, said that in his location he onl}- succeeded 

 with five or six of the "Iron-Clad" apples. The pear can be as 

 readily grafted as the apple. The Louise Boune de Jersey, Beurre 

 Superfine and Beurre d' Anjou have proved ver}- hardy and good 

 bearers. The Lawrence is one of the best winter varieties ; tree 

 very hardy and has never failed to mature its fruit. A number of 

 the winter varieties fail to ripen in this section. The Vicar of AVink- 

 field is one of this class, but it is very productive, the fruit is large, 

 and quite good if it can be well ripened. Winter #Nelis is one of 

 the most delicious of pears, but in man}^ locations is not hard}-. 



In the analysis of the wood of the pear and apple, the heart 

 wood of the apple was found to contain 6.2 percent of potash, and 

 the pear, 2G.4 per cent. Of phosphate of Ume, the apple contained 

 5.2, and the pear, 20.9 per cent. We see by this comparison liow 

 necessary good culture is ; and do we wonder why we often meet 

 with failure when the pear is planted in our old worn-out soils? 

 The land should be constantly tilled among the trees, and the ma- 



